448 A Burial Incident at Market Lavington. 



WILLIAMS, curate-in-charge, is said by tradition to have been 

 a Welshman of drunlcen habits, and his behaviour on this 

 occasion would lead readers to suppose that it was not 

 governed by the ordinary rules of self-control. Dr. Chandler's 

 house stands in the Market Place facing south. It was occu- 

 pied for some generations by the local doctor, whoever he 

 might chance to be. Dr. Hitchcock, before he removed to 

 • Fiddington Asylum, was the last leecli so to occupy it. I 

 should judge that the house stands pretty much as it did. 

 There is a peculiar row of steps leading down to the south 

 entrance suitable in a very remarkable way to add terrors to 

 an assault. 



The 2'"' of May, 1785 a Parishoner (sic) of Easteott died of the small Pox, 

 in the parish of Mt Lavington I then apply'd to Mr. Williams the curate of 

 Lavington' to Inter the corpse the 4th which was comply'd w*'' but when the 

 corpse arriv'd at the Church Yard the Gates was found lock'd & they was not 

 to be opened till he [the parsonj had seen me the overseer of Easteott & 

 accordingly sent the Clerk for me to come & wait on him at Dr. Chandler's 

 in the M' Place Lavington & away goes clerk and myself and on the road 

 the clerk told me the Parson was very angry & he was doubtful! wher there 

 might not be a dispute between us & on my hearing that doctrine I thot 

 [thought] it would be most prud' to go back again but the clerk thought if I 

 was to go quietly & pay obedience to him it might be very well, so on we 

 goes again & arriv'd at the place ; t puH'd of xny hat & went into the shop 

 where the parson was & made the obedience I was posses'd of wish'd to know 

 of him what he wanted of me, he began w'' what bussiness hadst thee to bring 

 that woman out of thj' parish into mine to trouble me to bury her : I very 

 composedly told him my reason for so doing was to keep the Small Pox out 

 of uiy Villiage as he had done out of his Parish before then he began to be in 

 a great passion & s'' I was a Damn Dirty fellow for so doing ; which made 

 me examine my eloaths all over k found nothing Dirty but my shoes & I 

 then told the Parson If he would give me leave to go & clean my shoes I 

 thought I should be as clean as he was. Tiien he began with ubbraiding^.v(>/ 

 me that he would not be my Footman & Bury my Corpses when I tho't 

 proper I then told him I did not wish him to do more than his Duty & that 

 I would make him do; he then said he would not bury the Corpse without 

 6/8 I told him I was for to save my Parish that money that 1 bro't her 

 there ; & I had heard from experienced People it was not his due to command 

 & that I would not pay it, he then began abusing me greatly that I thought 



' Market Lavington Vicarage was and is now under the patronage of Christ 

 Church, Oxford. The living was held, doubtless in plurality, from 1750—1805 

 (a long reign) by the Rev. John Dobson. 



